Detached
by Raven Morning
Summary: Buzz has been making an effort to avoid Jessie lately, and she can't figure out why. Will a late night chat by Bonnie's window clear up their confusion or drive them further apart? set after Toy Story 3. BuzzJessie


**Hey guys! This is my first Toy Story fic so I'm sorry if it's not very good or if I don't have Buzz and Jessie in character consistently. I'm still getting used to their little mannerisms and how they act. I just wanted to write a little something for this couple. Ever since I saw TS3 I just fell in love with these two! I hope I can do them some justice!**

**By the way, I don't own Toy Story, or any of the characters. Review please!**

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It had been almost three weeks since Jessie was staring death in the face, one hand clutching the hoof of her loyal horse, the other holding the hand of the toy she loved.

She still remembered it all perfectly- that blazing heat against her face, the acrid smell of smoke and burning rubber, and the knowledge of her imminent death. Sitting in that rubbish, slowly descending towards the roaring inferno, Jessie was positive that she would never see another sunrise with Bullseye, not live to play cards one more time with Hamm, or to beat Emperor Zurg one last time with Rex. Lotso had betrayed them all yet again, and she knew there was no way out this time; no clever little trick, no crazy half-hatched escape plan that Woody and Buzz would pull off, no miracles. It was the end.

The cowgirl remembered holding Buzz's hand in the very last seconds, and burying her face in his neck. All she could think of was how fiercely she loved the space toy, and of all the things she had never said, and would never get the chance to. His hand had tightened on hers, and he murmured her name, whether in comfort or in fear she couldn't tell. Even while all of her hope was gone, being near him at least gave her some peace.

"Buzz," she had whispered, not even sure if he could hear her over the roar of the flames. "Buzz. . . I love you."

There. She said it. Jessie couldn't die with that secret held in her heart. It was the one thing that she couldn't bear holding in any longer. If they were going to perish holding each other's hands, then Buzz would know the truth. What Buzz might have said next, how ever, was drowned out by the mechanical whir of the crane that seemed to come from the heavens to save them. The LGMs had rescued them, dropping them safely outside on the concrete. She drew a deep breath of fresh air and looked over at Buzz. Their hands were still clasped together. When she looked up into his face, she found him smiling too (rather abashedly but still smiling). They had made it out, together.

And as Jessie looked down at her hand, three weeks later, noting how some of the plastic from Buzz's hand had merged with hers, she still couldn't figure out why the Space Ranger had been avoiding her ever since. She knew he was shy and awkward around her- it was something she'd grown used to and quite frankly, found amusing. But he had never gone out of his way to avoid talking to her or being around her. He had always been friendly and kind. Just days before the Sunnyside Day Care fiasco, he and Jessie had spent the entire day trying to teach Bullseye new tricks; yet last night he had turned down her invitation to join her for a game of Uno, citing that he had something to help Woody with. Jessie had checked with the sheriff- there was nothing he needed Buzz for. Something was wrong, and she didn't know what.

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It was nighttime, and Bonnie was fast asleep, her favorite toys tucked under her little arm. The moon hung high in the sky, splashing blue light across the floor. Jessie used the illumination to navigate her way from Bonnie's bed to her window. She threw a glance behind her, to make sure she hadn't woken anyone up. Thankfully, the other toys were still exhausted from playtime, where Evil Doctor Porkchop and his new ally the Evil Witch Dolly executed an elaborate plan to kidnap all the unicorns in the Valley of Sunshine. But as always, Buzz and Woody saved the day with the usual epic heroics that were somewhat reminiscent of their playtime adventures with Andy.

Jessie leapt from the bed and shimmied up the leg of the chair. She didn't quite mind the silence. It gave her time to think, without the interruptions of the other toys. She knew they meant well, but Woody could be _so_ persistent, and Dolly was suprisingly intuitive about other's emotions. She would gladly take the opportunity to have some time by herself. However, as she mounted and hopped over the chair onto the desk, she discovered she wasn't the only one awake that night.

"Buzz?"

The startled space ranger looked up, smiling kindly as he saw the cowgirl approach. "Oh, hello Jessie."

She was suprised she hadn't noticed him sooner- the tell tale glow of his suit was as bright as ever. "What are you doin' up?"

"Just looking at the stars." He shifted uncomfortably, his gaze swinging from her to the full moon. "W-Would you care to join me?"

If the past few days were anything to go by, Jessie thought he would have excused himself and gone back to the toy box, not offered her a seat next to him. But she wasn't going to question this change, so she ambled up to him and plopped down, arranging her long legs Indian-style. They sat quietly for a few minutes, just watching the stars twinkle. After a while, Jessie wasn't as comfortable with the quiet as she though. It felt like he was still avoiding her somehow, even when he was right there beside her. She was sick of this. It needed to end, _now_.

"It's a lovely night, i'nit?" she asked casually.

"Yes, all those stars... it's a beautiful sight."

"It makes a toy thankful for what they have, 'specially after they few days we went through." Specifics weren't really needed. They both understood what she was referring to, and both would rather avoid going over the details. "I mean, thinkin' that Woody was gone and you had turned against us... Well, I'm just mighty glad to have y'all."

Buzz cleared his throat, suddenly aware of how alone they were. "Yes, well, sp-speaking of that, I have something I've been meaning to tell you."

"An' what is that?"

"I've become aware through the talk of the other toys that while I was reset I hadn't been myself." He scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks tinting pink. "I've heard that I attempted to woo you on several occasions with various Spanish declarations of adoration and cultural d-dancing."

Jessie nearly blushed as well. Oh yes, she remembered Buzz's Spanish Mode. He was alot more forthcoming then regular Buzz- all the good looks, but more suave. The dedication he showed to her in that one night was more then she'd ever gotten in her life. It was wonderful really, once she got over the language barrier. She couldn't tell what half of what he said meant, but the tone of his smooth voice and the look in his eye was all she needed to understand. She had finally thought that Buzz was admitting to her what he never managed to say in his original setting. He needed the mindset of a romantic Spaniard to confess through endless poetic phrases his feelings, instead of just popping his wings with his jaw on the floor. She had hoped that finally, maybe, he was returning the love she felt so much for him.

"Well," she prompted, aware of his sudden pause. "Go on, pardner."

"I just wanted to apologize if anything I said made you uncomfortable. I wasn't in my right mind, and I didn't mean it. I don't usually act that way, as you probably could tell and... Jessie?"

The crestfallen cowgirl looked away, her 'heart' dropping from her throat to the pit of her stomach._ He didn't mean it._

"Jessie?" he repeated her name, trying to catch her gaze. He sounded concerned. "Are you okay?"

"You di'nt mean it?" she whispered, unable to look him in the eyes. "None of it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Is it just me Buzz?" she asked, her voice barely brushing a whisper. "Am I the only one'a us that feels like this?" She took of her hat and tossed it to the side, frustrated with herself. Her hands went to her braid, pulling and tugging on the long red yarn. She felt like a fool. Jessie wanted to crawl back into the toy box and bury herself, even if it meant being in the dark. "After ten years you think a toy would'a learned..."

Buzz reached a hand out, touching her shoulder, yet she shied away from him. His eyes betrayed the hurt he felt. "Jess, I don't understand-"

"No, of course you don't." she muttered. "You never do."

Buzz looked helpless, reaching out to her again. "Please, Jessie, just tell me what's wrong and I'll try to help you fix it. No matter what it is."

"Oh I'll tell ya alright," she spat, gearing up for a rant. "How long have we known each other Buzz? Nine, ten years? More'n that? You remember the first thing you said to me? That I'm a 'bright young woman with a beautiful yarn full o' hair', remember? Those were your words. An' ever since then, we've been the closest of friends!"

"I agree but that doesn't really-"

"That is, up until now. I ain't seen hide or hair of you for days!" She poked him angrily in the chestplate. "Why? Is it why you apologized? You embarrassed or somethin' by what your Spanish side did?"

"A little bit, yes!" Buzz replied, not taking kindly to Jessie's questions.

"Well I liked it! At least _that_ Buzz wasn't afraid to love me back!" Jessie yelled, her hand moving to cover her mouth too late. She glanced over to Bonnie, who yawned and shifted in her bed, but did not wake. She didn't mean to shout, but she definitely meant what she said. How dare Buzz go and do that to her? Get her hopes so high and then knock them over like a stack of blocks. She clenched her fists, turning back to the ranger and preparing to light into him again, but the expression on his face made her freeze. It was the most solemn, regretful look she'd ever seen on those strong features of his. His clear blue eyes shone with sorrow, searching her face for something.

He turned to completely face her, taking both her hands gently in his and sighing with a gentle shake of his head.

"Jessie.. you know how I am. You know me better then any other toy here, except maybe Woody. You're my closest friend and I would give _anything_ to keep my friendship with you." Jessie, sensing where he was going, tried to pull away, but Buzz held fast, tugging her closer. "Wait. Please, listen." She glowered at him but nodded. "I remember that painfully clumsy compliment I gave to you on your first day in Andy's room. You were the most beautiful toy I'd ever seen. I knew you were special Jessie, but if I ever realized how my little infatuation would grow to take over my heart completely..."

He reached out to run his fingers through her braid, and Jessie felt a nervous fluttering in her stomach. "I'm a toy that was made to take risks. Buzz Lightyear is supposed to defend the galaxy to infinity and beyond; I don't know if it's a malfunction in my circuits or a flaw in my programming, but I just can't take risks with my heart. If I was to ever do what my Spanish side did- to proclaim my unyielding love so openly- I would be running the risk of discovering that your feelings are not the same. I would lose both you and your friendship because of my emotions. That's not something I think I can deal with."

At that point, Jessie felt that her own heart would either break or explode out of her chest. So many questions, so many emotions... Suddenly her hands were pulling her closer to Buzz, one grabbing the back of his neck while the other rested on his shoulder. Her face was so close to his that she could feel the brush of his rapid breathing. "An' if I told you that you di'nt have to worry about all'a that?" she murmured. "What would you say then, Space Ranger?"

"I-I would say..." His eyes searched hers, looking for that acceptance he so craved from her. Her lips curved into a small smile, and she nodded. He swallowed hard, and his hands wrapped around her waist. "I would say that Jessie, I've completely fallen in love with you, and that I can only hope you'll agree to be mine, because I don't deserve something so perfectly beautiful."

She laughed. "And I would say Buzz, it's about goshdarn time!"

If Bonnie was to wake up at that moment, she would find her cowgirl doll and her space ranger toy in each other's arms, their pure emotions burning them alive as they gave into the kiss that was ten years coming. She'd see them finally break apart, gasping for air and reveling in the warmth of each other's gaze. She'd watch as Buzz Lightyear pulled Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl into his lap and hugged her tightly as they gazed at the moon. And if Bonnie listened closely enough she might hear Jessie say, "You really love me, Buzz?" To which Buzz might reply, "Yes. To infinity, and beyond."

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**Yes, that was such a predictable ending line for Buzz, but I really think he would say something like that. Thanks for the read! Review, please!**


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